Time is ripe for cyber security rethink

Clint Arizmendi & Chloe Diggins are from the Land Warfare Studies Centre. The views expressed are their own and do not reflect those of the Department of Defence or the Australian Government.

Recent cyber attacks on the Australian intelligence community serve as a timely reminder of the impact non-state actors can have in conducting politically motivated cyber attacks against the state. The emerging trend of unsanctioned non-state cyber actors (UNCAs) who claim to undertake malicious cyber activity on behalf of the state has implications for Australian national security policy and legislative frameworks.

When the interests and values of UNCAs align with the strategic objectives of the state, they can act as willing or unwitting proxies. Their actions of also have the potential to undermine diplomatic and political processes, cripple state infrastructure and act as a flashpoint for cyber or conventional war.

The exponential growth of global cyber connectivity – and the vulnerability that accompanies it – provides infinite opportunities for exploitation by UNCAs. Furthermore, as technological advances rapidly outpace legislative and policy protocols, it becomes increasingly difficult to resist and deter attacks. Preventing, investigating, and prosecuting malicious cyber activity is problematic, as UNCAs often act across and between jurisdictions through multinational servers and networks. This is further complicated in instances where there are no extradition treaties between the affected state and an UNCA's host country. Therefore, UNCAs can potentially exacerbate geopolitical problems and their actions may represent a potential flashpoint for a cyber-9/11.